Ski hill opens Stump Alley Express, High Five, Goldrush and 23

The section of the ski hill that is now open includes runs off some of the more popular lifts. Map/MMSA

Mammoth Mountain on Thursday opened another section of trails and lifts, while busy employees scrambled to open runs and lifts out of Canyon and Eagle lodges by Thanksgiving.

Ski area spokesperson Joani Lynch said a Thanksgiving Day push was steamrolling, in advance of an expected weekend of snowfall that could drop about two feet of heavy snow above 9,000 feet, perhaps more above mid-mountain.

If things go according to plan, she said, the ski area would open Canyon Lodge by Thanksgiving and, possibly Eagle. Of the four portals on the ski area, Eagle (Chair 15) is at the lowest elevation.

Snowcat crews were busy grooming Stump Alley Wednesday, and it appeared ready to go.

The variable, of course, is Mother Nature, who kept her comments off the record, as usual.